It took a long time but former All-Star Isaiah Thomas is coming back to the NBA.
After several years in exile yearning for a deal, Thomas just signed a 10-day contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Isaiah Thomas is signing with the Los Angeles Lakers, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Thomas scored 42 points in his NBA G League debut on Wednesday night.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 16, 2021
Suiting up for the Lakers comes after a long, impressive-but-troubled career, where he played for the Sacramento Kings, Phoenix Suns, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Lakers, then finally the Denver Nuggets, Washington Wizards, and New Orleans Pelicans.
Thomas’s career seemed over but it’s a relief to see him back because he’s playing better than he has in years and is reminding people why he’s such a force on the court.
An Explosive Comeback
Thomas hasn’t played in the NBA since a brief tenure with the Pelicans, where he only played three games with an average of 7.7 points a game before he was waived.
Unlike many players his age, Thomas resisted the urge to play overseas and earn an easy paycheck.
Instead, he never lost sight of getting another NBA contract.
Thomas dominated in the Drew League where he was putting up incredible numbers.
This was followed by his time in the NBA G League, where he once again proved that he had the talent to perform in the big leagues.
Earlier this week, Thomas scored a jaw-dropping 42 points, eight assists, six rebounds, and five three-pointers while playing for the Grand Rapids Gold.
Isaiah Thomas was nothing short of AMAZING tonight. 🙏 @isaiahthomas
42 points | 8 assists | 6 rebounds | 5 3PT pic.twitter.com/qBO1IelI0f
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) December 16, 2021
That performance was enough for the Lakers, who quickly signed the guard for the 10-day deal that could be a lot more.
Granted it was in the G League but 42 points is an incredible feat.
Even during his best seasons, Thomas wasn’t scoring more than 29 points.
In some ways, he’s playing even better than he did in the past.
He Will Greatly Assist LA
The Lakers know that Thomas can fill in some voids they have on their roster.
When healthy, Thomas is one of the fastest, smartest, and most intimidating point guards in the league.
He may not be the biggest guy on the floor but he plays like he’s about nine-feet-tall and rarely backs down.
Sadly, injuries have plagued him for years and cut his career short.
After a hip injury in the 2016-17 season, Thomas never played to his full potential again and was continually getting hurt and losing steam and being shipped all over the NBA.
The Lakers are having trouble staying healthy and they have had issues with a reliable point guard all season.
If Thomas is in fine form and healthy as before, he could bring wisdom and talent to the backcourt and help create some explosive plays alongside LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the rest of the squad.
It remains to be seen if 42 points a night will be the average for Thomas (probably not) but he seems to be in great shape and carries great enthusiasm too.
He is returning to the Lakers with a lot of wind in his sails and at a time when they need him most.
He has earned this chance to play again and it’ll be very exciting to see what Thomas is capable of.
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